Toronto Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo, left, speaks with pitcher Matt Shoemaker, second from right, as Shoemaker is helped off the field after sustaining an injury during a rundown play against the Oakland Athletics in the third inning of a baseball game Saturday, April 20, 2019, in Oakland, Calif.Ben Margot / AP

OAKLAND — With the Blue Jays playing some inspiring baseball of late, it was inevitable, perhaps even unavoidable, that a Shoe would fall.

Literally as it turns out.

Feel-good story Matt Shoemaker, who took a 3-0 record and a 1.75 ERA into Saturday’s game versus the A’s, left in the bottom of the third with a left knee injury.

In what appeared to an innocuous run down after Shoemaker picked off Mark Chapman at first, it was the pitcher who ended up tagging Oakland’s stud third baseman.

A visibly frustrated Shoemaker, who surrendered three hits, was well on his way to notching the win on a day when Toronto’s bats were lights out, recording a season-high in runs, hits and total bases.

In beating the A’s 10-1, the Jays have strung together their first three-game win streak of the season.

Following a 2-9 start to the campaign, the Jays have now posted six wins in their past eight wins.

Needless to say, the Jays are playing good baseball, continuing a season-long theme of solid pitching, but only now the team’s offence has come alive.

The word on Shoemaker is that he’s scheduled to undergo an MRI Sunday for what has been diagnosed as a sprain to his left knee.

“I just found out when the game was over,’’ Jays manager Charlie Montoyo said following his team’s win. “We’ll find out (Sunday) from the MRI how bad it is.”

Fundamentally speaking, it’s never good when a pitcher gets involved in a run down.

“You never want to see the pitcher involved,’’ added the skipper. “But it happened and there’s nothing we can do about it now. He’s a gamer. He was in there (in the middle of the run down) because he wanted to get the out.

“It’s tough because we don’t know how he’s doing right now. We’ll see. The MRI is going to tell us (Sunday).’’

Sam Gaviglio was summoned to begin the fourth.

He struck out five in four innings of work to earn his second win of the season.

Shoemaker’s next scheduled start isn’t until next Saturday.

Depending on Shoemaker’s health, Gaviglio looms as a candidate to start.

Gaviglio has proven to be a gamer whenever he’s called in whatever role he’s been asked to perform.

Montoyo conceded how the right-hander looms as an option as a starter.

“Of course,’’ said Montoyo when asked about the Gaviglio possibility. “It’s one of the reasons why he went four innings. We’re thinking that way (to start a game) that he could be the one to pitch that day if Shoemaker won’t be able to.”

Shoemaker has left his mark on the team, at least until this point.

“He’s been great,’’ continued Montoyo. “Hopefully it’s a mild sprain and we lose him for a start. He’s been outstanding. He’s been one of the best pitchers in baseball. He’s been really good.”

ROWDY RECEPTION

Rowdy Tellez, who grew up in nearby Sacramento rooting for the team across the Bay in the San Francisco Giants, made his first plate appearance at the Coliseum since high school in Toronto’s win.

He didn’t play in the series opener Friday night.

With family and friends supporting the young slugging first baseman, Tellez lined a ball toward first base to record the third out in the second inning.

And then in the fourth, he gave his family, friends and teammates reason to celebrate as Tellez ripped an 0-1 pitch into right-centre for one of those no-doubters, a three-run blast to help stake the Jays to a 3-0 lead. The next batter was Brandon Drury, who homered Friday night, to produce the first back-to-back blasts for the Jays this young season, also on an 0-1 count.

All told, the Jays would score five runs in the inning.

In Oakland’s bottom half, Tellez made a nice back-handed catch in foul territory, an area that measures five city blocks, or so it seems.

Tellez ripped a one-out double into the gap in left-centre.

“Tell me next time so I can play you,’’ said Montoyo of the conversation he had with Tellez after rounding the bases. “I saw the name Rowdy and his family and all that stuff. It’s fun. It’s great that he had a great game for his family and friends.”

GOLDEN GLOVERS

Friday night it was Stephen Piscotty’s time to shine, Oakland’s right-fielder making a perfect throw to third to tag out Billy McKinney, who recorded the inning’s first out by trying to stretch a double into a triple.

Saturday, on a beautiful afternoon for baseball, McKinney, who throws left-handed, made a great back-handed shoestring catch in right.

A half inning later, Oakland centre fielder Ramon Laureano showed off his gun of an arm by holding Brandon Drury to a single.

Drury manned the hot corner and made a great fielding play on a short hop, completing the sequence with a strong throw to first for the out.

Leave it to Freddy Galvis to outdo them all, Toronto’s starting shortstop making a bare-handed catch in short right field with his back to the infield amid the glaring sun.

“That’s awesome,’’ beamed Montoyo. “All I can say as an infielder, an ex-infielder, that’s fun to watch. That’s tough to do with the high sky and to catch the ball like that. I want to watch it again.”

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